


Kingdom Eternal

by QueenEgg



Series: Kingdom Eternal [13]
Category: Hollow Knight (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Family Drama, Gen, Ghost is a very good parent, Hornet Angst, Multi, Other, Papa Quirrel, The road to recovery is a very very long one, additional tags & warnings to be added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-26
Updated: 2018-09-26
Packaged: 2019-07-17 23:50:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 610
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16106339
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenEgg/pseuds/QueenEgg
Summary: After five years of separation, Hornet is finally reunited with her only child.However, not all gaps are easily mended, and there's something in Hallownest that threatens to destroy all that the new Queen has worked so hard to create.





	Kingdom Eternal

**Author's Note:**

> It's been over a year since I first started writing for this AU, and i'm finally at the penultimate part! H eeere we go

Quirrel no longer looked up from his desk when he heard the door to the inner sanctum open anymore. Ghost always tapped their nail against the floor when they entered, and whenever Lie visited their father’s place of work, they were often talking to themselves long before they managed to reach him. Once he’d started spending most of his time at the Archives, he slowly memorized the cues that differentiated his family from his students.

However, there was only one bug that visited him who did so in complete silence.

“Scholar Quirrel.” Despite himself, his heart still jumped in his chest at the sound of her voice. Five long years spent apart, and yet...

“Queen Hornet.” It had taken him months to stop faltering when he spoke her formal address. Even now, the words felt unnatural to say as he turned to face her. Quirrel was a scholar. It was his duty to care for Hallownest’s knowledge and come up with ways to help his kingdom. That meant that even after everything he had been through, he still had to serve his former partner. “I must apologize, but if you’re here for the documents on tram construction, I haven’t finished compiling them yet. It’ll be at least another day or so-” Quirrel stopped sharply when Hornet held her hand up, her gaze sweeping over the room before focusing back on him.

“That isn’t what I’m here for,” she said, stepping closer until Quirrel had to crane his head upwards from where he was sitting to meet her eyes. “In three days, it’ll be her tenth year, yes?”

No. Surely time hadn’t passed that fast?

Standing abruptly, Quirrel forced Hornet to take a step back, the taller bug avoiding him gracefully as he glared at her.

“So, you were serious then? I was sure you would’ve backed out by now considering how hard you’ve worked to avoid her for the past five years.” Quirrel hissed out, the unfamiliar presence of anger in his mind making him feel oddly uneasy as Hornet continued to watch him, expressionless. “It’s taken me this long to get over you, Hornet, and now you want to take my daughter from me-” The sudden flash of Hornet’s weapon caught his eye and Quirrel was forced to swallow his words as she lowered her face to meet his.

_“Our_ daughter, Quirrel. Nymp is of the both of us, even you cannot deny that,” she whispered, before leaning back. “Besides, this is what we agreed on. If you were not prepared for this day then you shouldn’t have accepted my offer. I’ll be arriving tonight to retrieve her. Please make sure you’re ready by then.”

Not giving him a chance to retort once more, Hornet swept out of his office, the breeze she left behind being the only sign she was there at all. After staring at the space she’d occupied, Quirrel let out a shaky sigh before gathering up his documents into his arms.

Upon seeing his face his students gave him his space, and when he announced that he’d be going home early they thankfully didn’t pry and allowed him to leave them to their work. Not so long ago he would never have been able to take leave so easily, but the acolytes of the Archive had steadily grown in numbers the past few years, and he had his own child to thank in part for that. Though, as Quirrel proceeded through the Crossroads, the pit of dread in his heart only deepened.

Hornet would be coming to their home for Nymp sometime in the evening, and there was nothing he could do to stop her.

**Author's Note:**

> No promises for a consistent update schedule, since this AU takes a lot more out of me than any of my other works. I promise you tho, it Will get done!


End file.
